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I'm writing this post on a caffeine-high, having recently returned to the office from our monthly Likemind coffee morning; a gentle networking event which takes place not only here in Brum but in 52 other cities across the world on the same date and at the same (local) time each month.

We've been hosting the event since July 2007 which means that next month – Friday 16th July to be precise – it'll be Likemind Birmingham's third birthday. Crikey.

To mark the occasion we're having a 'cash for cake' fundraiser in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care, as part of their Blooming Great Tea Party. We'll bring along some cake and, if you'd like to make a donation to the charity in return for some spongey goodness, that'd be most appreciated.

Coffee, conversation, celebration, charity and cake? Surely that's a winning combo?  

The need-to-know stuff: Come along to Saint Caffe, St Paul's Square, Birmingham on Friday 16th July. We'll be there from 8am until about 10am and, as I may've mentioned, there will be cake.

Since we started Brum Likemind several years ago, it’s got way bigger than we ever thought it would.

The other day I asked myself “What do folks get out of it?” that keeps it so popular, and came up with this (certainly not exhaustive) list:

Meeting new people
Getting face-to-face with folks you’ve previously only met online
Drinking great coffee
Meeting the JQ neighbours
Catching up with friends/business contacts
Discussing and testing new ideas
Munching breakfast pastries
Having a break from the office
Finding out what’s going on locally
Finding a new place to live (Yep, we matched a landlady and tenant!)

Essentially, it’s just a pleasant, relaxing – and sometimes even useful – thing to do. Likemind really is a fine start to a Friday. If you’ve got something positive out of Likemind, tweet us – @supercooldesign or @likemind – or add your story to the comments.

The next coffee morning: Friday 16th April, from 8am at Saint Caffe, St Paul's Square, Birmingham. Hope to see you there!

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The inspiration for this post: http://tinyurl.com/socialmediacafe

Our next Likemind coffee morning (on Friday 18th September) is going to be a little different from usual …

We’ll be part of the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning; a UK-wide series of events raising money and awareness for Macmillan – a charity working to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.

Alongside the usual coffee-drinking and natter, Saint Caffe will be sporting some cheerful green posters and balloons, we’ll have a collection box set aside incase you’d like to give a bit of change, and anyone who donates will be encouraged to adorn themselves with a cute coffee mug themed sticker – while stocks last!

So, we’re really hoping that September’s Likemind will be an especially good one – coffee, conversation and the feel-good factor? A Friday morning never looked so good.

Likemind (in support of Macmillan) – Friday 18th September 2009
Saint Caffe, St Paul’s Square, Birmingham B3 1QS
From 8am until 10am-ish

Hope to see you there!

(Sign-up for coffee morning reminder emails on the Likemind page)

*UPDATE*
Huge thanks to all who donated so generously at the coffee morning the other week, and those who pledged to donate online to Macmillan. With what we raised, we’ve helped fund a support worker for an hour, and helped two cancer support groups hold their first meetings. Brilliant!

in 1453 the One Hundred Years’ War ended, with the French defeating the English at the Battle of Castillon.

in 1717 King George I of Great Britain sailed down the Thames River on a barge with 50 musicians who premiered Handel’s Water Music.

in 1917 the British Royal Family adopted the name of the House of Windsor in place of their German family name, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

in 1955 Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California.

in 1957 TV presenter Fern Britton was born (and today also happens to be her last day on This Morning).

in 1975 The spacecraft Apollo docked with Soyuz 19 and, through a hatch, US commander Thomas P Safford shook hands with his Soviet counterpart Aleksei Leonov.

in 1999 New Scientist magazine ran an article about the health benefits of a nice cup of tea.

… and on this day in 2009 Likemind Birmingham celebrated its second birthday with coffee, tea, chat – and cakes!